While there are a lot of breastfeeding books on bookstore shelves, I recently came across one worth talking about.

It’s called the ABCs of Breastfeeding. This week I spoke with the author Stacey Rubin. There are several things that make this book a little unusual.

Stacey encourages women to be confident in their ability to breastfeed, to set up breastfeeding “allies” (as an example, how to find a truly supportive Doctor), and to use visualization to help you enjoy your early experiences nursing.

You can listen to this interview here or check out the book The ABCs of Breastfeeding.

By Aurelia Williams, author of Getting out of the SuperMom Trap

Mommy guilt is one of the most common feelings mothers go through at some time. Moms will feel guilt for not being able to provide the very best for their children. This makes them see themselves as inferior at being a parent as other moms. Just remember that you are not alone. There are many other moms who go through the same thing. Here are some ways to help combat the mommy guilt before it takes over your self esteem.

Be nice to yourself – Every mom has experienced a moment, when raising their child, where something happened to them that made the mom feel like it was their fault. This is probably one of the most popular forms of mommy guilt ever. Your child falls and bruises their knee; your immediate reaction is to berate yourself as a mother.

“I’m a terrible mother,” is how it usually begins. Be kind to yourself, because you are a good mother and nobody needs to be a SuperMom – it’s not good for anyone. Things will happen with your child and no matter how hard you try to provide for the safest environment possible, things will still happen. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad mother.

Release the need to control everything – Remind yourself that you are not in control of everything that happens to your child. A part of growing up is learning from mistakes. The harder you try to keep them from everything bad out there, the harder they will ultimately fight you on it.

Even though you are an involved parent and see after your child, there is no way you can prevent some things from happening. Just spend that energy on being there for your child to help them through life and not try so hard to control it.

Trust yourself – You are the best person for the tough job called ‘Mommy’ to your child. Don’t second-guess yourself. When your intuition says that your child shouldn’t be doing something; then learn to trust it and stand firm. Don’t give in just because you don’t want them mad at you. Your internal leads are there for a reason.

Don’t cave in to guilt trips – Kids like to take their parents down guilt trip lane. We all want our children to have and do whatever they want, but it’s not always the safest or best thing for them. When you make a decision, stick to your guns.

Don’t allow others to influence your parental decisions – It’s typical for other parents to offer unwarranted advice. While it’s nice to receive other’s opinions on something about your child, you are ultimately the one who will need to make the decision. If you are faced with this kind of circumstance; clearly tell them that you appreciate their opinion and will keep it in mind, but don’t let them influence you too much on your decisions.

You know your child, better than anyone, so you are the one that will know what’s best for them. All parents as well as kids make mistakes, so it’s important not to let yourself doubt your mothering abilities. You’re raising your kids the best you can, so it’s time to start believing in yourself.

Need More Help?

If you’re looking to raise more independent and self-sufficient children – plus…get yourself out of the SuperMom Trap, grab a copy of this important guide.

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Product Name: Real Life Guidance to Understanding Your Teen
Rating: 9
Where to Buy: Real Life Guidance Website

Description: This report gives you an inside glance out how easy and helpful understanding your teen can be. With this report you will learn how to reach deep into your own resources to be able to not only understand but help your teen through these turbulent years.

Review: I remember being a teenager. I thought I had the world by the toe and could do just about anything I wanted too. I also thought I was the only one who knew anything and that no matter what they said my parents didn’t have a clue about me or my life. You know what after raising 3 of my own I have to come to find out that some of those types of thoughts are probably true.

You can’t raise a teenager in this day and age the way our parents could raised us. It’s just not possible with all the things that teenagers have to face these days. If the truth be known when it comes to things like the computer, jobs, school, friends and even sex they probably know more than we could imagine and much more than we knew as at their age.

There is help to get you through all this and be on an even playing ground with your children. This report is just that help. It is a straight forward report that will help you to understand many of the things your teenager is dealing with. It doesn’t give you hidden agendas or try to make you think its all fun and roses. That’s what is best about this report. It is true and honest information that works.

Understanding Your Teen goes into things like why your teenager has mood swings. Not only does explain why, it even gives you tips on how to deal with and work through them. It helps you to understand that communication is number one have to with your teenager but it helps to finds ways to keep that communication open and honest.

If you are looking for some help in understanding your teenager please pick up your copy. It can give you insight into and about your teenager along with resources that every parent needs to make it through this lovely but many times difficult stage of parenthood.

It will also give you a sense of well being and confidence in knowing that there are other people in this world going through the same things and that help can begin as soon as right now. Raising a teenager is not an easy job for parents or their teen, but having some honest, straightforward guidance can be the difference between raising your teen or your teen raising you.

By Aurelia Williams, author of Getting out of the SuperMom Trap

A few generations ago, children were commonly expected to help around the house. When society was mainly based on agricultural endeavors, children were expected to help around the farm as well. Our society has changed and so has our expectation of our children. Learning to delegate household chores to children can benefit both the children and the parents.

Let’s admit it, mom and dad work hard all day. Facing household chores in the evening can take away time that should be spent with kids, stress you out or just add another burden to your otherwise overloaded to do list – something I talk about extensively in Getting out of the SuperMom Trap. Delegating household chores between all the occupants of the house seems only fair. There are jobs around the house even the smallest child can do.

Chores are great for the kids as well. Though they may complain, forget or otherwise try to find ways out of chores they do benefit from them. They are taught responsibility, essential life skills and even some reasoning skills. Learning to do dishes or laundry is essential to any child. They need to be able to do these on their own some day so they may as well start doing these at home. It also gives them a feeling of accomplishment.

What chores kids can do, really depends on the age and the ability of that child. You may want to do the chore with them to begin with. Show them the correct way, then let them try it with your supervision. If they do ok, assign them this chore. Always follow up and make sure their chores are done and done correctly. Remember they are kids and are just learning.

Preschoolers can perform the basic chores. They can learn to pick up after themselves. Take care of their toys, make their beds and this kind of chore is ideal.

Older from 6 to 9 children can do all this plus learn to take care of the pets, fold and take care of laundry and even learn to vacuum and sweep floors.

Children for 10 to 13 can take on even more responsibility. They can do dishes, clean the bathrooms and even learn to cook simple meals with supervision.

Once they have reached the age of 14 consider more responsibility. Laundry can be done by older children as well as car care, preparing meals or any other chore that parents feel they are capable of doing.

Some children are more adapt at helping around the household than others. Children who want to learn to cook and clean should be encouraged. Supervising young children around the stove and other hot appliances is essential, but they should be allowed to try these things when they feel they are ready.

With the question of chores comes the question of allowance. This is a very popular subject in many a child’s mind. There are different theories as to who should get allowance, how much and what for.

Sit down and discuss with your child their responsibilities around the house. Talk to them about how much they think these chores are worth. Teach them that their time and effort is worth something, but they have to be realistic. Let them be part of the decision of allowances and what chores are parts of that.

Parents are responsible for teaching their children important life skills. Teaching them how to keep up a house and themselves should be included. Show them it is a team effort to keep the house running smoothly. Everyone pitching in to keep a comfortable, clean house will show them it is worth the effort.

Need More Help?

If you’re looking to raise more independent and self-sufficient children – plus…get yourself out of the SuperMom Trap, grab a copy of this important guide.

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By Aurelia Williams, author of Finding More Family Time

With our busy life styles, finding family time can be hard. Most homes these days are two income homes. Kids are booked with activities from school to church to sports. The older the children are, the harder it seems to schedule family time with everyone in one place.

Family time is an important bonding time. It helps parents stay in touch with what is going on in their kid’s lives. It helps the children bond with each other and their parents. It is a significant element in families that is often pushed off to another time.

What qualifies as family time is up to your family (and I have plenty of tips for you in my Finding More Family Time guide). Not every family can enjoy a trip to Disney or fancy resort. While these are great getaways for the family, they are not the only way to enjoy time with your family. Look for opportunities for everyday family times.

Something as simple as a family dinner is great family time. Though it is often hard to schedule, do this as often as possible. If only a few times a week, it is a great time to gather your children around the table and talk about their day, what is on their minds or things that are happening in their lives or yours.

Even if only one parent can be present, show the children that you care enough to share a meal with them. A bucket of chicken with the fixings, shared together at the picnic table in the backyard, is a great family time.

Find a hobby that parents and children all enjoy. It can be stamp collect or roller hockey, just something that you all enjoy doing. You can find a new activity or enjoy an older love that you haven’t found the time to enjoy lately. The point is to share that time with family. It can be a hobby that is done at home or one that gets you all out of the house together.

Start walking or working out together with your kids. Most parents have goals of getting fitter. This may include walking, running or working out at the gym. Make this a family activity. Walking and hiking are great activities for the family to enjoy together. It is a great time to talk to your children while you are hiking along. It has the side benefit of sharing and teaching the kids about living healthy as well.

Institute a family fun night. A night at home watching movies, solving puzzles or playing board games is a great time for all family members. Let the kids take turns picking out the games or movies each week. Kids really enjoy these activities and doing them with Mom and Dad is even more fun.

You can turn any activity into family time, if it involves family members. Make a shopping trip a fun family time adventure. Get the kids involved. These can be bonding experiences for everyone. Show kids that you are interested in them and who they are becoming.

Need More Help?

Find even more family ideas in the Real Life Guidance to Finding More Family Time Guide. This practical guide will show you how to set reasonable expectations for all family members, balance work and life, get organized and more. Click here for more info.

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Product Name: Real Life Guidance to Helping Your Teen in High School
Rating: 9
Where to Buy: Real Life Guidance Website

Description: A very straightforward report on how to help your child make it through those high school years. This informative report gives you insight from helping your teenager figure out who they are to dealing with bullies and peer pressure.

Review: Being a parent can have it’s ups and downs. It is not easy and unfortunately they do not come with a manual. In my day, you either asked your own parents for help, a good friend, or just had to wing it and hope in the end you did the right thing.

For today’s parents there are many opportunities available to help with certain types of situations and most parents are willing to look for and find the information they need. If you’re looking for some guidance in helping your teenager make it through high school then you need to pick up a copy.

This guidance is some of the best I have read. The author, Aurelia Williams, gets right to point of the matter and leaves nothing to chance. With experience herself she knows and has used this information with her own children. It had to have worked because as honest as this report is I would never imagine her giving it to anyone else if it didn’t.

Dealing with a teenager can be very stressful. First off, they are a teenager and have no idea what is going on in their mind or with their bodies. If that’s not enough they also have to deal with other teenagers who are going through the same things. I didn’t have a clue how to help my children at this age. As I was reading this report I found myself saying things like, “Yes, that would have worked! Why didn’t I think of that?”

This Report deals with helping your teenager find out who they are. To me that’s probably the most important part of a teenager’s life. It’s not easy. How many of us still don’t have a clue who we are? With the information in this report you can help set your child on their way to figuring this out and being proud of who they are and what they stand for.

It also gives you some insight into how to help your teen deal with some pretty tough things. Things such as peer pressure and the bullies they might be facing in their school. It even goes into dealing with relationships and how to handle dates and the dating rules you set as a parent.

Helping Your Teen in High School is just full of great information on helping your child through their high school years. Even if you don’t have a teenager yet this report can help you. If you’re like me, your teenagers are grown and on their own but I needed it to be able to deal with my grandchildren and the things they will be going through as a teenager. I’m really glad I have this report and it will come in very handy when it’s Grandma’s time to help.

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Kung Fu Panda is the story of a panda named Po (Jack Black) a panda who dreams of being a kung-fu master. As a result of a mishap caused by his laziness and inability to get to an important event on time, he is called upon to fulfill an ancient prophecy and save his village from the evil snow leapord who has escaped from a REALLY high security prison.

My boys (5 and 6) absolutely loved this movie and I enjoyed it too. I was concerned that after the movie, everyone in my house would be kung-fu fighting and poking each other’s eyes out after…but I warned them ahead of time that it was simply a movie that we didn’t need to act out. They thankfully complied.

I also appreciated that two of the kung fu masters were female characters including Master Tigress (Angelina Jolie) who was the strongest fighter and Master Viper (Lucy Liu). It helps illustrate to both boys and girls that women can be in physically strong roles and that you compartmentalize activities into “boy stuff” and “girl stuff”.

What I particularly liked is that the movie left the interpretation of the story up to the viewer and it was simple enough for kids to come up with their own interpretation. Whether the kids are practically-minded and want to take a realistic view or want to believe in something more mystical and magical, the movie was open to that too.

Overall, it’s a recommended movie with plenty of laugh out loud moments that can be appreciated by kids and adults alike. And even though it was funny for adults, it didn’t even have to resort to the crude and adult humor like Shrek and other movies seem to think is required.

Read more reviews: Click here.

This is not a new video, but one worth sharing. It’s part of the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty and illustrates just how distorted reality is in the world of fashion, beauty and modeling. Watch – it definitely carries a strong message.

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You Don’t Mess with the Zohan is the story of a highly-skilled and super sexy Israeli counter-terrorist agent who dreams of being a hairdresser.

He secretly reads his 1980s Paul Mitchell catalog in his apartment and then decides to tell his parent of his dream to go America to cut hair. They laugh it off and his Dad says it would mean Zohan is gay and his mother simply says, “Just play it safe and stay in the army.”

Zohan decides he must pursue his dream to make people “silky smooth” and in a fight with notorious terrorist The Phantom (John Turtorro), Zohan fakes his own death to escape to America.

What follows is Zohan’s journey to become a hairdresser. No one will hire him because he has no experience, but a Palestinian shop owner (Emmanuelle Chriqui) takes him on as a volunteer hair sweeper. When an employee quits, Zohan eventually gets his chance, helps countless older women feel sexy again (in true Zohan style) and becomes a crusader in helping the Palestinian / Isreali neighborhood fight a shopping mall developer from taking over.

As a long time Adam Sandler fan, I admit I was a bit weary of whether or not they could carry the comedy all the way through. I mean, how funny could a former Israeli counter-terrorist agent turned hairdresser be? It also seemed to be a long time since Sandler has made a slapstick type of movie like this.

Well, he whipped himself into shape, both comedically and physically (apparently with some rigorous training with a Navy Seal to get in shape). The movie was hilarious (even if hilariously stupid) and Sandler’s new physique brought me back the early days of crushing on this funny man. Yes, even with all the Mariah Carey t-shirts, Daisy Duke shorts and 1987 Paul Mitchell catalog haircut…he looked good.

The movie also carried a strong message of tolerance, but in it’s humorous delivery, you never felt beaten over the head with it. Well, except for this dude who left a review on Cinema Clock (found at the end of the reviews):

“What I found especially concerning was the two attacks on Mel Gibson in the movie (one based around the neo-nazi scene) Picking on Brittney Spears is fine, because she never made any Jewish slurs. But its clear what Mel did 3yrs ago and said has not been forgotten, and Its clear in this movie. Using film for your own agenda of attacking a person is really weak comedy. Just overall truly disappointed with this movie. Sad Hollywood, just sad.”

There were two brief references to Mel Gibson as the reviewer above stated. The first so small and benign (which he seems to take the most offense to) and the second was a really nice jab. I’m sorry, do something that stupid, you’ve got expect a little heat from it – even if it was a few years ago. Besides, I imagine if Mel Gibson is truly sorry for his actions, he could have seen the humor in it.

If you love outrageous comedy and hummus (not an actual a pre-requisite), it’s definitely a movie to see. Although the reviews are really mixed and leaning to the not so favorable side, I give it a Schoozins thumbs up.

Read more reviews: Click here.